{"id":31603,"date":"2023-01-30T14:06:14","date_gmt":"2023-01-30T20:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/?p=31603"},"modified":"2023-01-30T14:06:14","modified_gmt":"2023-01-30T20:06:14","slug":"chapter-22-moving-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/2023\/01\/30\/chapter-22-moving-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 22: Moving Out"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201c…and the last flap of Pakacko sightings twenty years ago was discredited as a hoax, but there is reason to believe that the so-called perpetrator was pressured into making that disclosure by the government, so I think it\u2019s still open to consideration,\u201d Tabby stated authoritatively, pacing back and forth as she spoke.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMm-hmm,\u201d said Thomas, studying an invoice. She had come in here with a question about the rabies vaccination order, and that had somehow segued into this discourse on the rumored-to-exist skeletal humanoid wandering the woods.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby paused in her pacing and leaned against a low table that stood against the wall. She absentmindedly picked up a record album that sat out and studied the cover. \u201cYou know, you can get music on the internet,\u201d she said, abruptly changing the course of conversation again.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, but these have sentimental value,\u201d Thomas corrected, strolling over and taking the album–<\/span>Romantic Zither–<\/span><\/i>out of her grasp. The hoof-written message in ink on the cover was faded, but he knew what it said–<\/span>To my darling Caprice, love always, Dietrich<\/span><\/i>. It was the typical kind of sappy note his parents had always been writing to each other. This represented one of the last tangible connections he had to them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thomas nudged Tabby out of the way and flipped the center panel of the table up to reveal a record player. He put the record on the spindle, positioned the arm, and the familiar haunting melody–played often by his mother–took him back to another time, the last time he had ever heard her play it.<\/span><\/p>\n

10 YEARS AGO<\/span><\/h3>\n

\u201cAnything interesting in the letter from college?\u201d asked Caprice, bustling around the kitchen in the midst of dinner preparation. Her meals never amounted to much no matter how hard she tried, but her family loved her anyway.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI made the dean\u2019s list again,\u201d Thomas admitted, setting the letter down on the kitchen table. It was no great surprise; he had always scored high academic honors.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCongratulations, honey!\u201d Caprice trilled. She would never cease celebrating an accolade, no matter how commonplace. \u201cWe\u2019re so proud of you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have your class schedule for the fall, Tom?\u201d asked Dietrich, more prosaic than his wife.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thomas bristled at the use of the shortened name, but it was nothing new; his father had blatantly disregarded his preferences in that regard for as long as he could remember. The notion was, Thomas believed, that it would toughen him up, that Caprice’s tender sensibilities had softened him too much.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it\u2019s right here,\u201d Thomas responded, setting out another paper, but the question made him uneasy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Caprice had walked over to the record player in the living room to start playing some music, and on her way back to the kitchen stopped and looked over Thomas\u2019 shoulder. \u201cAdvanced Organic Chemistry\u2026 Post-Colonial Literature\u2026 Cultural Psychology\u2026 Environmental Management\u2026\u201d His mother sounded suitably impressed, until she got to: \u201cMagic Healing?\u201d She looked at Thomas disbelievingly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something I want to explore,\u201d Thomas said, bracing himself for a fight.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cBut–you know–\u201d Caprice quailed. Dietrich remained silent, but frowned heavily.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI know you\u2019ve always discouraged it,\u201d Thomas launched into his defense, \u201cbut I\u2019m an adult, and I can make my own decisions.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou still live under our roof,\u201d Dietrich observed, \u201cand as such we have some say–\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe just don\u2019t understand your motivations, dear,\u201d Caprice cut her husband off, favoring a gentler tactic. She sat down at the table and looked at Thomas in consternation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have this power, and it\u2019s our duty to use it to better the world,\u201d Thomas argued. \u201cIt\u2019s just a waste otherwise. Think of all the good we could be doing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Caprice pursed her lips. \u201cBut, Thomas\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou’ll have to give up the course if you expect our continued financial support,\u201d Dietrich stated bluntly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI can get a job at one of the laboratories, and Sammy\u2019s offered to let me stay at his place,\u201d Thomas said, having had that response planned for just such a time.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t know anything <\/span>about<\/span><\/i> this Sammy!\u201d Caprice wailed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe doesn\u2019t need our permission, dear,\u201d Dietrich said quietly. \u201cHe\u2019s right; he is an adult.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThomas, you know we\u2019ve always supported you in your dream of being a veterinarian,\u201d Caprice said beseechingly. \u201cYou\u2019re interested in medicine, not magic.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat if they can work together? You\u2019ve just never accepted that I didn\u2019t want to follow in your hoofsteps, cutting off this vital part of my being!\u201d Thomas exclaimed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Caprice and Dietrich exchanged a pensive glance. Caprice leaned across the table and took her son\u2019s hoof in hers. \u201cWhere your father and I grew up,\u201d she began, \u201cwell… our families were known to be powerful magic wielders; and there were those that sought to bend us to their will.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOur lives were very much decided for us,\u201d Dietrich agreed. \u201cWe didn’t want it anymore, and certainly not for our children.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve kept away from magic, having seen that it can too easily lead to being manipulated. It’s so much better this way, dear,\u201d Caprice pleaded.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you used magic, you would certainly end up on someone’s radar,\u201d Dietrich sighed, \u201cand the cycle would start again.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJust because something can be abused, doesn\u2019t mean it has to be avoided,\u201d Thomas disagreed.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPlease, just believe us. This is for the best,\u201d Caprice said earnestly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have to find out for myself,\u201d Thomas said, holding his ground.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGive this up, Tom. You\u2019re distressing your mother,\u201d Dietrich said warningly. \u201cDon\u2019t make this any worse than it already is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve always said your own parents tossed you out for following your hearts, and now you\u2019re doing the same to me!\u201d Thomas said bitterly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t talk like that to your mother!\u201d Dietrich said sternly as Caprice broke down in tears.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re going to be like this, I can manage on my own!\u201d Thomas said heatedly, standing. \u201cYou\u2019ll never have to see me again!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThomas,\u201d Caprice begged, \u201cdon\u2019t go; we can work this out–\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cLet him go, cool his head,\u201d Dietrich advised curtly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Those were the last words Thomas heard before walking out the front door and closing it behind him.<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

That weekend, Thomas\u2019 parents would be leaving for a two-week cruise; the distance provided would be much appreciated at this juncture, Thomas mused as he headed over to Sammy\u2019s.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thomas was supposed to watch his younger sister, but over texts exchanged with her later that evening, he learned he had been ousted from the position of guardian, and Elaine would be staying with a friend of the family instead.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fine, Thomas fumed. They could just be like that, treating him as completely irresponsible just because he dared to think for himself.<\/span><\/p>\n

At least he could depend on Elaine to bring him some things he had left at the family\u2019s apartment.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHow are things at home?\u201d Thomas asked when they met the following day.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPretty somber,\u201d Elaine admitted. \u201cYou know how emotional Mom gets, and Dad is on the warpath.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, they will have to accept it, or go on without me,\u201d Thomas maintained stubbornly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI honestly don\u2019t know if they will come around,\u201d Elaine sighed. \u201cThey\u2019ve always been so insistent\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe their vacation will help them put things in perspective,\u201d Thomas said, though he was doubtful. \u201cSo you\u2019re going to stay with Tanzy starting Friday night?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d Elaine said. \u201cMom and Dad will be leaving first thing Saturday morning.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ll be back soon enough,\u201d Thomas said, feeling dread at the prospect. He knew he would have to face them again.<\/span><\/p>\n

* * *<\/span><\/p>\n

Sammy enthusiastically welcomed Thomas as a roommate, and Thomas settled into his new life, which was a non-stop party under the outgoing Sammy\u2019s patronage.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sammy was a smooth talker and had no head at all for academics; he had only made it as far as he had in school by exploiting classmates with more talent. He was Thomas\u2019 chemistry lab partner, and before Thomas had even realized he was being used, he had done all the semester\u2019s class work for the slacker. Ordinarily Thomas would be peeved at having been used like that, but Sammy had done such a pro job of manipulation that Thomas couldn\u2019t help but feel some degree of admiration for the socially popular stallion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Though they had nothing in common, they had built a friendship of a symbiotic nature–Thomas helped Sammy make it through his courses, and Sammy helped Thomas navigate the campus social scene. Of course, Thomas\u2019 parents didn\u2019t know anything about <\/span>that<\/span><\/i> aspect of his education, or that would have been another fight in itself.<\/span><\/p>\n

Though campus was relatively quiet over the summer break, Sammy always managed to round up a crowd. The Saturday after Thomas\u2019 parents had left on their cruise, there was a particularly lively party at Sammy\u2019s.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thomas was having a pleasant conversation (maybe with more kissing than talking) with a law student–Trisha or Tasha, he didn\u2019t remember. His phone kept ringing, but he really didn\u2019t have time for that.<\/span><\/p>\n

Suddenly, Thomas realized his name was being called. He turned around and saw his sister standing there in front of him, eyes stormy.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, I couldn\u2019t stop her,\u201d said Sammy apologetically, standing behind Elaine.<\/span><\/p>\n

Shoving his date aside and scrambling to his hooves, Thomas faced his sister. \u201cElaine, you shouldn\u2019t be here!\u201d he protested, grabbing her by the shoulders and propelling her toward the door.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t find any other way to contact you!\u201d she shrieked. \u201cYou\u2019re ignoring all my calls and messages!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is so important that couldn\u2019t wait?\u201d Thomas demanded, wanting to shake her for putting on all these histrionics.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s–it–the cruise ship–\u201d Elaine gulped, finding it difficult to speak. \u201c–there was an accident–\u201d At that, she broke down and couldn\u2019t continue.<\/span><\/p>\n

With a sinking feeling, Thomas realized that something was very, very wrong. He left the house with Elaine, and the story came out. The call he\u2019d been avoiding all night had been the cruise line. They had finally tracked down Elaine instead.<\/span><\/p>\n

There had been an incident. Thomas received a disjointed explanation from Elaine, along the lines of: unexpected weather conditions were encountered; the ship had taken on water; and had to be abandoned. Most passengers and crew got out on lifeboats, but a few remained unaccounted for, and that included Dietrich and Caprice Fairfax.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Coast Guard had taken over the search at sea, and the FBI was investigating, the cruise line representative that Thomas spoke to later that evening said.<\/span><\/p>\n

The days that followed felt surreal.<\/span><\/p>\n

The siblings coasted along as well as they could, living in a sort of limbo. They always hoped for news, but there was nothing. They were numb from shock. School started in the fall. It was a welcome diversion, something else to focus on than their missing parents.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the new year, Dietrich and Caprice Fairfax were declared legally dead.<\/span><\/p>\n

Caprice\u2019s dearest friend had stepped in, and she along with her husband did everything that they could to help the two youngsters. Tanzy even offered to take Elaine in permanently, but Thomas insisted that he was responsible for his sibling. The court eventually granted him custody.<\/span><\/p>\n

There was a frenzy of activity with lawyers and wills and liquidating assets. The siblings rented an apartment between campus and Elaine\u2019s high school, that Thomas hoped was suitable for a young, impressionable filly.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sammy was sorry to see Thomas go, and told him he was a fool for going out of his way to shoulder all that extra responsibility when there were others that could have done it. Their friendship cooled after that.<\/span><\/p>\n

The good news, if it could be called that, was that their parents had left behind considerable savings, much more than either sibling had anticipated. It would be enough to pay the bills through college for both of them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thomas agonized over losing his parents, and knowing that their last words had been spoken in anger. To have them go down in that stormy sea, being disappointed in him, thinking he hated them, caused soul-crushing guilt.<\/span><\/p>\n

But life went on.<\/span><\/p>\n

PRESENT DAY<\/span><\/h3>\n

Thomas came out of his reverie and realized that Tabby was still there, regarding him quizzically. How long had he been daydreaming?<\/span><\/p>\n

The player moved on to a new track. Thomas held out a hoof. \u201cDance with me,\u201d he said the absolute first thing that came to mind.<\/span><\/p>\n

It was probably ill-advised, since she was already spoken for, and this was just setting himself up for disappointment. But it was<\/span> just<\/span><\/i> a dance.<\/span><\/p>\n

For her part, Tabby looked bemused. \u201cI don\u2019t think you want to do that,\u201d she warned, backing away.<\/span><\/p>\n

But, she didn\u2019t protest when Thomas took her hooves in his. He held one hoof at her back, and positioned her hoof at his shoulder. Was it his imagination, or was there a softening in her eyes?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo, look up, not at your hooves,\u201d Thomas instructed, gently guiding her through the movements of the waltz. \u201cShoulders parallel to the floor. Straighten your back. Too rigid. No, the other way. You\u2019re terrible at this,\u201d he said with a teasing grin.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tabby gave him a stern look. \u201cYou know, my mother hired the best dance instructors in the land and never made any progress with me,\u201d she commented.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019m sure you were a conscientious student,\u201d Thomas said dryly.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI may have skipped most of the lessons,\u201d Tabby admitted. After that, she fell unusually quiet, clearly concentrating; but Thomas was just enjoying the time with her. They spun around the room, regardless of lack of technical skill from half the team.<\/span><\/p>\n

The song came to an end, and they came to a stop, just looking at each other. Despite her lack of grace, that had been entirely too enjoyable, Thomas realized. If he thought that this experiment would serve to take the edge off his interest, it hadn\u2019t worked.<\/span><\/p>\n

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, and the spell was broken. Tabby quickly stepped away, staring at a landscape painting on the wall as if it was the most engrossing thing she had ever seen.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCome in,\u201d Thomas said, collecting his emotions and walking back to his desk.<\/span><\/p>\n

Strawberry trotted in. \u201cThomas,\u201d she said, \u201cif I could just get your signature\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSure,\u201d Thomas said absentmindedly, reaching for a pen as Tabby slunk out of the room. He frowned. Did she think he had over-reached the bounds of propriety? If nothing else, she must think he was a sentimental fool. He didn\u2019t know what the dance had accomplished.<\/span><\/p>\n

Perturbed, he took the paper from Strawberry.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201c…and the last flap of Pakacko sightings twenty years ago was discredited as a hoax, but there is reason to believe that the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1071],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31603","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-writing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31603"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31603\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":31604,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31603\/revisions\/31604"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fakiespaceman.com\/toyblog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}